Main menu

Search

internet of things

Jeff says that WINK is now charging people $5 a month to use his WINK Home Hub. Leo says that they've changed the conditions of being able to use their product, especially since it costs over $100. It's not unheard of to charge to store data, but it would be like Amazon charging $5 a month to use the Echo devices out of nowhere. And it's even more frustrating because WINK sold their device with "no fees" as a feature. Now they're charging fees. But if they don't, they'll go out of business.

Alan wants to know if Philips Hue Lights would work as lights for a video webcast. Leo says since they can change colors, they can look really good on camera. But he also hears that older Hue bridges are being placed into its end of life. Leo says they are depreciating the older models, but that doesn't mean they won't continue to work. But the problem is, any bulb that is connected to the Internet may result in a security issue for your network. That's the main thing. It's important to get all the patches you can. But in most cases, you'll likely be fine.

Tim upgraded to the Eero 10 Mesh router and several of his IOT devices don't work. Leo says it works for him: you don't need to do anything but input the new passwords. You don't need to do anything with the SSID. Eero doesn't do anything with choosing different bands. It just works automatically.

Kevin bought some Feit smart bulbs from Costco. Leo says that LED light bulbs can be controlled by mobile phones. But he's concerned about security because they connect to his network. Leo says that's a concern with IoT devices. But if he can keep it up to date, he'll be fine. But the risk is there. He's also been using an Apple Airport. Leo says Apple isn't supporting the Airport anymore and he wants a WiFi 6 router. Leo recommends the TPLink Archer A7.

Darcy and his wife recently had a baby and he's looking for a good, and secure, baby monitor. Is there one that's really secure? Leo says that they are if the company keeps them up to date. Although RING took it on the chin with a hacker who hacked a Ring Camera in an 8-year-old's office, it turns out that this was due to a simple password that the mother had used with other devices. If you use a difficult password, then the RING Camera is a good option. Or, you can get a standard model that isn't internet-connected and is broadcast over a limited range.

Looking at Internet of Things phenomenon, the Portland FBI issued a blog post talking about how connecting your computer to the same network as your internet-enabled refrigerator could pose a security risk. They advise changing the device password settings from the default, make them as long as possible and unique. Leo says that it's not practical to have a separate connection for your IoT devices. But regularly updating your devices and giving them a good password is a good idea.

John recently returned from vacation to Prague, and he brought his Amazon Echo dot with him. He connected it to his travel router and reconfigured it for the Czech Republic, according to Leo's instructions. John had no problem with it. He could listen to music, podcasts, news from home. And it was his alarm clock. It worked great. Leo says it's a great idea to take that along with you.

Joe was thinking of getting a NEST thermostat, but he doesn't want to pay a fee. Rich says the only fee you pay is for buying the device. NEST uses WiFi to connect to the internet, where you can control it using your mobile device. But you don't have to pay a subscription fee to use it. Can you control it using your computer? Rich says you should. But the NEST doesn't have to be programmed since it uses machine learning to learn how you want it to operate. Also check with your energy company. NEST also offers a $50 rebate.

Doctor Mom joins Leo to talk about a new skill for Amazon Echo called "Guest Connect," which enables Echo users to play their favorite music on someone's else's Echo. But the downside is, that the owner of the Echo will be able to go into the Echo history and hear everything you say. But only for a 24 hour period.

Doctor Mom says that Amazon announced 25 new products this week, many of which will likely be vaporware. But there were some interesting new Echo products including Echo Studio, which is like a major home hub for your IoT devices. Leo says that Amazon's goal is to have an IoT device in every room and hallway. Leo also says that Amazon is updating the Eero Mesh routers as well.